Taste of Revenge
by Vforthesoul
Summary: Loki has been in hiding for decades and is suddenly sought out by a mythological creature to get revenge against Odin and Asgard. Tony/Loki not in the prologue or in the first two chapters. Story leads up to it.
1. Chapter 1

He kept his profile low for decades to where his history was left on a menacing note: where did he go? Why hadn't he appeared? S.H.E.I.L.D. and even Thor writhed uncomfortably in the weeks and months after he did not make any appearances on Midigard, or even in Asgard. He made no appearance, his green magic did not grace the earth in ways for signals to zero in on where he was, or what he was doing. He made himself untouchable and invisible. He grew tired of fighting for the same reasons and living through vengeance of his brother, his father, humans, earth, and his true origin.

He did not grow tired, that is a lie, yet he grew bored. When he had fallen from the bifrost he had traveled through worlds between the universe, fallen upon worlds which either welcomed him or he forced them to welcome him after much magic, wit, and many heroic on his part, kills. He endured many beatings, many threats, bolts of magic in weak spots. He could not control earth because of those who protect it. Whether they be immortal or heavily trained or heavily armored. Thoughts to comply with the Avengers had crossed his mind, but the Norse God found himself tired of finding ways for betrayal and truce. He could not be caught and brought back to Asgard for trial and his tongue could not muster up the lies of sorrow and plead for forgiveness from the Allfather. He could not care enough to achieve the vengeance he so deserved.

Loki vanished easily as Clint Barton's arrow was just a muscle reflex away from going through his skull. The arrow fired anyway- he supposed Clint may think he still be there even though invisible. Loki was smarter than to stay in the same spot with five angered Avengers staring him down. He quickly left stark power to flee from what he had created for himself: A dark hole with powerfully angry men and women as well as his own brother. With that he was gone from the radar for very long.

So long he watched the news of the dear Tony Stark die from simply old age. Watched the Hulk lose control in a elementary school setting. S.H.E.I.L.D., he guessed, had the wits to lock Banner up for good. Most likely in a similar cage that he had tricked Thor into that fell from the skies to smash into bits in a big explosion. Banner, very much alive, was probably going insane in a cell somewhere. Agents Romanoff and Baron grew too old and feebil, Fury killed in an alien battle. For Loki, the Avengers and S.H.E.I.L.D. were slowly dying off- which would make one who still thought of the God of Mischief and Magic think it was Loki's new entrance act. All of these opening spots of those he once knew were now gone, or compromised. He did not make a move, on the contrary, for him to do that he would need to think of a plan. Step back into the game. He would need to search the universe, the deep and dark edges of the universe, and bring the snake on his tongue back to life. He invisibly still lingered through the stars and galaxies, it was a vacation to something he once knew and will know of one day in the future.

The Norse God has been… compromised to humanity and society mannerisms. He still spoke in olden tongue. Hearing him say 'y'all' once and he swore if he said it ever again it was time to become mischief once again. His words never were connected by apostrophes and he held himself proper and traditional. He did not possess a job, of course. Why would he do that? He had tried working in what humans called a café´. Once spilling hot coffee on himself he cursed in foreign languages and shot a spurt of magic at the machine, his eyes glowing green, before he remembered where he was. Customers and employees stared at him all the same: terrified and in shock. It gave him a taste of what he always wanted- power, fear, followers. He simply smirked, teleported his dear metal and leather suit onto himself, gave an earth-ending speech while he watched people swallow hard, begin to weep, plea, and look sick. In a state of humor he vanished his apporpiate god dressings and began laughing- that Loki laugh all the avengers, Thor, and the Allfather knew all too well. He simply left the coffee shop in a wave of teleportation, leaving nothing but a blur of green magic behind before it vanished just like him from the shop then the city. Wonderfully enough, no one had gotten on that taste of a lead. Or no one had cared. Perhaps S.H.E.I.L.D. was off his back for good, perhaps the new leader no longer thinking he a threat. He did not care, not now, to find out.

In the present day he went by Tom. It was a common enough name. He wore his hair in the same long-black fashion. In Germany, he found himself rich in large mansions decorated in historic décor. He became known very well there. Rich, mysterious, cunning, sly. No one knew why he had such fortune. He did not say. Telling people he made money vanish from thin air never went well. He would lean in close to them and whisper, 'I kill fools like you who pester those like me.' They'd whiten in the face and proceed to tell those they knew he was insane. In the end, no one knew where his fortune came from or who he was. Everyone knew him in the town, if not in the country. They knew his name, at least. Tom Hiddleston. Some loved him for how private and powerful he seemed to be, some hated him for being rich and crazy. In the immediate town while he walked along the sidewalks with intimidating grace people moved from his way. It made him think his demanding force to be followed had been the wrong way to go about his destiny for Kingship. He still played upon the thoughts as he lay in bed late at night, or as he invisibly walked through Asgard stealing apples and contemplating killing Odinson to create madness and justice for his ego. It was not time.

One day he was walking through an art gallery and found a large painting of Loki Laufeyson protected behind motion sensors with little Norse God mythology excerpts. He was stopped in his tracks when he noticed the painting of his armor, his stance, his green magic on his fingers.  
"You!" he barked to a walking by employee of the gallery, "who creates such a… timeless masterpiece of the wonderful God of Mischief?"

The employee was hesitant to the old tongue hinted in this man's tone. "People say that Captain Ameirca painted this, but the artists name is anonymous. Wonderful would not be a word for this cowardly God. God is barely a word in itself to be an adjective for this… creature. A Norse God greedy for power, death, mischief, and vengeance."

Loki's eyes narrowed at the man with rage building inside of him. 'How dare you speak of a great God like that,' his thoughts were powerful, his eyes searing through the employee, 'you know nothing of my reasons!' eyes narrow and piercing as they made it back to the employee. He did not create a speech. Not because he became passive. He simply nodded and hissed something foreign under his tongue, a devil of a smirk crossing his features as the employee could no longer move. Frozen in his spot by magic. Only his mind could work as Loki approached him, lips close to his ear. "You speak of Loki in that tongue again and I will be sure your life is not lived long through searing pain," his voice low laced with poison. He pressed his fingers against the man's side, sending searing pain through his body. The employee could do nothing but let his mind feel such pain. He could not scream, wince, or protect himself. It pleased Loki to see he still had the power of heartlessness to instill fear into those who doubted him.

After the first sighting of artwork after himself he began on a gallery search through the world for more renditions of himself through the paint brush. He did not find much of himself for appraisal, always for fear and always portrayed as a villain. It angered him incredibly as he found works with him defeated under the avengers.

On a trip to a gallery in Germany, in his current residential city, he found an interesting piece. It was surprising to him he enjoyed it so much even if it was not of himself, or any sort of destruction because of himself or magic. It was just a beautiful piece of watercolor transparency. The artist of the Gallery was anonymous and these paintings were all for sale by the same anonymous painter. The room intrigued him so.

He stood in front of the painting for a long while- a full hour without a twitch of the muscle. He received odd looks, even annoyed ones that such a man was blocking the view of a beautiful piece. Of course he did not care. Though when his silence and scrutiny was disrupted by a voice, his own was soft and low.

"I am presuming you find this piece interesting," the girl mused, a sly smirk upon her lips. If it were not for the fact that he had been in such a deep state of thought, something wittier than 'but of course' would have left his lips. "You are beginning to bring worry upon the gallery go-ers, Mr. Hiddleston."

Loki barely recognized the name he was being addressed as. Humans did not speak with him willingly, most often, and they most definitely did not address him as anything. "That seems to be a misfortune for them, I suppose," his tongue remembered how to speak once more. "It is not of my fault they can not appreciate a painting to watch it closely, as if it may move to the emotions within their body."

She smiled just gently, a smile he knew all to well in himself when hearing something he didn't particularly agree with but didn't quite disagree with it in return. "Why do you feel with such passion for this piece, from all the others?"

"It reminds me of a time I once knew, very long ago." Just like this girl's scent. She smelled of leather and sweet air. Air that ravished the beautiful immortals of both genders of Asgard. A smell he had not gotten whiff of since his battle last with Thor. Since his last return home where he was surrounded by people, by near gods. "A time before betrayal," he narrowed his eyes in a sour expression. "The artist portrayed their feelings quite clearly in this, though it brings me such strong feelings of home that I do not wish to remember, yet I have no power against my mind's memory."

His poetic tongue caught her attention, much with other aspects of him. She smiled just gently, "The artist is impressed that you enjoy it so much, and she could get such a reaction from a fan."

He smirked and looked to her, "And how do you feel of this painting? Something tells me that you are the artist. You have a beautiful talent for bringing such emotion to the viewer," it was a light praise. Whether he learned it from the disgusting ways humans used to attract one another. "I am… interested to know how you feel of this artwork."

"It is about what you said, though not from my own perspective as I watch others closely and absorb how they feel, how they react, and how they handle situations beyond their control."

Her gray eyes stared to his deep green ones and he found himself asking for an outside meeting over some food and perhaps wine. Wine that would not affect either of them though she would put on a light drunken show.


	2. Chapter 2

All those around him were in frozen form. Their eyes unblinking, their mouths silenced. He could have sworn he saw their lips all sewn together before he caught movement in the corner of his eye. Movement that was coming at him in swaying fabrics before a long staff pointed at him, using a blowing force that knocked him across the five feet and hard into the dry wall off his feet and totally without guard. It was only a quarter of a second when he vanished before the next blow of whatever magic was attacking him. He was able to stay invisible only for a moment before reappearing with the staff in his hands, glowing green (from self modifications by magic of course), and shot a bolt of vicious magic towards the form that had attacked him.

His old tricks and touch had not left him. His fingers tingled with the same desire to continue until the fool beneath him writhed in pain and begged for mercy. The magical creature beneath the invisible searing wires squirmed in pain with humanly veins bulging from his neck.

Loki approached this thing as its form deflated from a bulky, ugly red, swollen, muscular, thing with foreign markings on the skin. The teeth moved back to human rather than their sharp as blades form and the thing's human body appeared as daggers shot through his eyes to Loki above the searing pain beneath the invisible wires.

"Who are you!" Loki barked madly, his voice low and demanding. His green eyes narrow as he pressed the sharpest of tips from the staff to the man's neck. "It would benefit you to cease yo-"

The man beneath him vanished and Loki was thrown across the room once more, knocking the still frozen humans down in their marble-stone state. The wall braced him as he shot magic back before whatever spell hit him began to force him to his knees as he coughed up phlegm and blood. Loki looked up to the figure beginning to stand up before him, a wild smirk sprawled across his lips as he began to stand up, shooting the man bolts of green magic backing him up in space of the gallery before against the wall, then once more through the wall and into the grass. Loki walked swiftly across the room, jumping from the open space the wall created and to the figure, sticking the sharp point once more to this man's neck.

"What is your business with who I am?" Loki demand, pressing the staff against the man's neck breaking a bit of skin.

"Loki Laufeyson," the man coughed out, his hands twisting into fists as he fought for his own life beneath the many spells paralyzing him. "The God who hides from what he has done wrong! The weak, poor excuse for God of Mischief." The man snickered before giving a bloody cough, finally stilling as the pain ceased once he stopped his movements.

"How do you know of my identity?"

"How do these people not! You are but spitting image of the paintings they draw, the movies they create, the history that they read!"

"The race of Midgard has never been quite… intelligent. What is your purpose," his voice became demand rather than question or curiosity. Loki was not in a gaming mood. His identity here on Midgard had been covered for decades since the Avengers.

As the man lay silent and unmoving of telling what his means were he grabbed the man's collar and teleported them to the basement of his mansion. Where, well, it was not modest to the torture devices he had in case of... emergency to ambush or betrayal by anyone who may be a spy on his tail.

It was a while before the man came to, his body held up to a metallic stretcher that was more like a huge metal door keeping many out in Stark industry's amateur days of laboratories. Perhaps Loki had mixed with magic to experiment Midgard time travel to steal such a door, perhaps.

Loki sat in the corner of the room without light shed upon him. His legs crossed at the knee with his God of Mischief armor fully clad to his body with the exception of the satanic horns. They did not feel in place here, and the prisoner was bound to a table, which bound the magic to the captured. It had been a many rough months for him to even create such a thing without stealing from SHEILD. There was a lot of stalking Tony Stark while he worked on his gadgets to keep the magically inclined out of his tower. A lot of mindful note taking and he had gotten it done within some time.

The man struggled against the restraints, huffing with great displeasure when the magic he conjured seemed to backfire against him causing him discomfort and pain. Loki smirked at the affects- invisible relief rising from his shoulders as he of course had not been able to use such a thing. He did not trust his magic to keep on a brainwashed human while his own machinery held him magically captive against the world. Thus, he did not take the chances to experiment. Dabbling in catching one of the Avenger's headaches from some far off planet or community at the edge of the universe did not appeal to him either. He need not a headache of his own upon his own will.

"Sleeping beauty has awoken without the saving kiss of her prince," Loki mused as he stood from the chair while moving over to the table in long, confident strides. "I would not continue to conjure any further magic for it will only backfire against you, red beast."

"Beast? I am hardly a beast to what your true form is, _Laufeyson_."

"I believe this has become even more unfair for you know who I am yet I am not graced with the knowledge of who you may be besides a blundering red beast with red spurts of magic."

A snarl escaped the man's throat, his eyes beginning to roll at the ridiculous tongue of Loki. "You might want to call me Vidar," he snarled, his eyes boring into Loki's.

"Vidar," the name rolled from his lips with ease and venom, "how did you know of who I am?"

"Why do you deserve an explanation?"

"I am quite sure you will recognize that these metal forces that keep you to the board keep your magic _within _yourself and only harming you. Keep up your unruly act and you will recognize that my magic against you is not cast off by any protecting shields of this device."

"I come here to find the God of Mischief and find how he become such a fool to give up on his quest for power!"

"You dare call me a fool you insufferable beast!"

The staff was to Vidar's neck again causing the man to squirm and he looked to Loki, flashes of red going through his own eyes. "I mean no offense, I speak all but lies and opinion for it is true: you gave up. You vanished before the Avengers to become what! A coward in hiding! Muling over artwork with his face on it! Become a fan of your own work, Laufeyson, and you forget your purpose. Forget your followers!"

"I HAVE NO FOLLOWERS," Loki roared, nearly shaking the mansion above them. "I have nothing but deceit and lies! Powerless revenge burning inside me!"

"You have nothing but pitty for yourself, Loki. God of Mischief. Norse mythology be deemed lucky for Odin to not appoint a new man for such a God. A weak man with sentiment still for his cursed son."

"You speak from your ass," perhaps it was the most human-like thing Loki had ever said. Any foreign comebacks did not find ways to his tongue. Did he become to fear his truth? Fear his past and his emotion? Fear his hatred? Never. He never fears a thing but the punishment of sewn lips, shackled wrists, and stripped dignity.

"You run from your truth."

"You know not of who I am, who I become, or why I become it. You know not of the struggle against all! Against anyone who deems themselves greater than you. You know not."

"For a god with such legend, I would never guess you to give up. I never guess you to hide."

"ENOUGH!" Loki roared, flying up to only an inch from the man's face with the staff pressed to his chest. "You cease your words, your empty assumptions." His eyes narrowed as he took a few strides back. "You will stay here until I find what suits you well. I may not have an army, or the strength to avenge myself, but I do have the strength to keep a red beast as yourself under my power. You will find you rue this day you tricked me to a painting."

"You trick yourself. Thinking you are done with what you feel. With what lay beneath your chest in the deepest cavities of your heart. You are nothing but a weak man who remembers himself gr-" he was silenced by a muzzle. A muzzle which had indeed been stolen from the SHEILD headquarters. Something he never wanted used upon himself even in case SHEILD did capture him. He'd need his tongue to save himself always.

While the lights out and Vidar alone a transmitted screen-like thing appeared before him. Vidar peered to the holograph, his eyes untelling of much emotion.

"Have you located God of Mischief?" the voice asked, disguised and deep.

Vidar could only nod with an answer- his muzzle stopping him from word and basic muscle function around the device.

"Good. I trust when you are in a less compromised position I will have further faith in my choice to choose you for this." And with that the light flickered out and Vidar was left in darkness once more.


	3. Chapter 3: The Lie Shows its True Face

He knew not of what his origins were truly, nor did he know his reasons for finding him. How did he find him? Loki was quite careful when he used his magic against Midgardians, or even for his own needs and purposes. How he had finally found him, after he does not know how long, is past his comprehension. He kept invisible since he left the closed door of the basement. He could not be more careful. Maybe this man was a rat of SHEILD's, trying to gain his trust so they could capture him at his weakest.

After extensive searching he found nothing. The ability to put one of their spies under his spell for truth had been empowering. Loki had not had such control over a human in decades. To direct their every movement, tell them what to say and when. It was… glorious.

Upon his return to his home the god strolled into the basement with a platter of assorted foods in his hand. He set it down on the chair and grabbed an apple throwing it in a small game of catch in his hand. Loki walked towards Vidar, peering over his unchanged body. The only changes seemed to be spider web-like burns around his wrists and ankles as well as dark circles beneath his eyes.

"I told you creating any spells while entrapped would be against your best health," Loki pointed out. He threw the apple into the air a final time and kept it to levitate, swirling it with the wave of his fingers. "In the past five days time I have scowered the earth with mine ears to hear of your plan. Perhaps you are not a follower but a traitor. You see," he had the apple go in the direction of Vidar. The man noticeably squirmed beneath the restraints.

A throaty scream sounded in the man's neck as Loki used his magic to press the apple into the man's stomach, only then did he break down the substance once it was within the foreign bile. He smiled, his eyes dark, as the man tried to catch his breath through simply his nostrils.

"I found no such word of your plan." Loki twisted his fingers, removing the muzzle so it sat in his hand now. He looked it over with an awkward smirk. He could only guess of its pain, especially against himself- who it was truly made for.

Vidar breathed heavily from his mouth. Both relief and exhaustion left his lips. "I tell you no lies," he breathed out though he was soon screaming as Loki pushed cooked chicken breasts through his stomach.

"You speak when I commend it," Loki stated for a fact. His green eyes did not trust this thing strapped to the shackled device. "What are you? What is your purpose?" The platter disappeared and Loki took its place on the chair, his leg crossing at the knee.

"My name is Vidar Groenstein. I have powers to silence humans for all their lives. They tease me, or they cross me, before their birth and I curse their living lives with mute. They do not remember who I am, or what they had done, while they are alive. Upon death when they reach me they are scorned for their actions and they must realize their punishment.

I grew up, much like yourself, in a shadow of a brother who my father saw greater than I. My brother, a fool he was, got himself killed in battle though those with him said it was suicide. Petty and melodramatic my brother always was. It takes a lot to kill a man of his wit and power. Without him, our realm was in shambles. My mother, a Queen of the world, became desparate as the Ignus Animalis was about to behead her when she bargained.

She bargained me: her last son. She said I had the power to control revenge against myself and those around me. To cease wars against his people, he found me useful and captured me. A prodigy, you may say. I was taken beneath his arm and forced into the belief and respect of those hot creatures. Turning me into an Ignus Animalis in a true form was excruciating pa-"

"I ask not for your feelings of personal pain. I wish not to know and I wish not to waste time with meaningless chat."

"Forgiveness. I was under their rule and demand. I grew powerful and heir to the throne. I caused wars with other planets for power of my own. I gained and I seldom lost. Then, such a beauty struck me while I was on a walk through the gardens of flames. The most beautiful creature I ever lay mine eyes on. We fell deeply into love. Begun a family. We knew not of her talent, of her material or her source. To me not a thing mattered but her being in my presence. She did not know of any importance of her own damned soul. She know not of being created of a _material_," he growled the word out, flame erupting within his eyes. "And she was taken from me!"

Loki half rolled his eyes, "I see not where this has any impo-" "Odin took her. Your wretched father!"

"He is not of my blood! He is not my father," his growl was as fierce as it was the last time he confronted Odin of his true origins.

"He took her from me. He appeased my kingdom and I. He gave us fruits and promises. Promises that meant nothing! Once I accept the gift of his alliance she goes missing and your damned brothers and sisters invade my world crushing all in its path while Odin curses me to follow his step. Curses me to watch as he kills her. Crushes her deep into dusty matter and puts her part of the Bifrost that connect your world to this!"

Loki sat and watched the man as he seethed beneath the shackles. Such betrayal by Odin. A man who was supposed to be a great king. A man of wise decisions and smart outlooks on the worlds, the realms, the galexies. A man who betrayed the Jotun, betrayed his son, let his son fall to nothing and leave him to die.

He sat in silence for a good while. All the rage and hatred burning within his chest like the betrayal happened just an hour ago. His heart seized by imaginary electric currents as his memories became an avalanche of melted water.

"You, Loki Laufeyson, are the god with power to lead me against Odin. Avenge yourself. Grow with me, create an army with I and we can take down the King of Asgard. Put vengeance to your soul! Bring purpose back to you. All I want is the access into Asgard so I can retrieve what is left of my lady and bring her home. Or wherever I may live. I wish to fight along you, but I want not to take your true place in treason against the King. He is yours."

Loki's eyes snapped back when the man finished his jabber. He rose and walked towards the bench. In an instant the man was free of the shackles against the form though now had magic restraining cuffs around his wrists. He looked closely to Vidar, his lids narrowed, "You follow me," he defined, "you listen to my plans, you become mine. If you fail to agree or follow, it will be the end of you and you will not know of revenge or how sweet it tastes upon your tongue." He stared to Vidar as he waited a form of answer. When the male nodded he strode over to the controls for the table to lower it and release the restraints.

He was not a fool to let the man flow through the house free. A binding spell placed on the walls, windows, and doors of the mansion to keep this red giant within at all costs: magical and physical. And to keep all magic out as well. With some tweaking of his tongue it did not bind him within the walls, only the man in front of him. He walked over to the man and placed long handcuffed shackles on his wrists.

"You do not trust me?"

"You think me a fool? You speak words that bring back the deepest of memories to mine mind. You ignite a fire within me for revenge against those who disowned me. I know of your powers for silence and vengeance. Mostly vengeance. How am I to be certain you have not cursed me with the desire for vengeance for my very soul?" Loki held the cuffs and spoke in foreign tongue as they glow green then the color fade.

"Loki, it is not required of you to spell bind me to your army. My loyalty will not falter. I am a man full of revenge."

"Must I replace the muzzle, Vidar? You speak words that do not interest my thoughts. You are allowed access to all the mansion excluding the room I call mine. I trust you respect boundaries of your leader."

It was a few weeks of planning for Loki before anything was even nearly able to be put into action. He spoke little to anyone, only creating spells beneath his tongue and casting the spells on poorly placed animals. Animals in the yard at the most unfortunate- for them, not for Loki- times.

A month since seizing Vidar and keeping him imprisoned within his will, Loki finally found it the right time to tell him of the plans of attack and where this man stood in the invasion.

"Vidar," Loki called as he strode through the house, thick book with animal hide as the pages between thicker leather, "come. It is time for you to hear the invasion." Loki stopped walking and turned to see the man walking forward quite like an obedient puppy. It made Loki wonder if this man should have been turned into one of the experimental prototypes for his spells. He did not care for the man or his well being, really, so it would not have hurt him in the slightest. Loki did not need an army, he found, to avenge his soul. He did not need any followers to root him on. Call it the slightest hint of sentiment that he could find, but he did want to keep this man around so he could find the woman within the Bifrost. He could not right all the wrong Odin had done, but he could do one small act of kindness.

Loki went on to tell the man of the spells he created, the plans and the backup plans, the other's role in the invasion, and when they would act upon the finished thoughts. When else was best than now? He had been off the grid for decades; no one was expecting a thing anymore from him. He was good as dead- especially to his family.

He gave a small evil smile of accomplishment once he was finished then looked to Vidar who had surprisingly been silent through all the instructions. His smile was quickly wiped off his face and he took a definite step backwards, his book vanishing and his eyes glued to the form before him.

"_Odin."_


	4. Chapter 4

"You think that after all the betrayal anyone has shown to you, Loki Laufeyson, you would think more than twice trusting another soul besides your own."

The Allfather's words hit him hard in his chest as he struggled to lift his head. Chained to this steel table that withheld magic was no holiday party. With his spells being controlled in his mind by Odin he had not options but to withstand the pain as another spell broke loose from his control. His fists clenched, toes curled, and mouth winced. He would not give into the physical pain vocally. He was stronger than that. What was left of his dignity held on strong throughout the pain.

Once the pain subsided he was left in a weak slump only held up by the cuffs around his wrists and biceps.

"I would have thought that a man of such importance with so many enemies would focus his thoughts on something else than lies and his own bastard son," Loki growled out lowly, his eyes lifting enough to catch Odin's. "You speak of greatness; of your great feats. You gain respective followers and what are you truly: a liar and a thief. A man no greater than the humans that slay one another! You steal relics to parade off. What do you seek, Odin! You seek the power you yourself tell those below you that no man should ever have. You want it all for yourself. Odin Allfather glows with green greed. A glowing green monster like that of the Migardian's Hulk but you… you want power over all realms for yourself. Those who agree not with you are sentenced to banished depths of the realms and created into burning, terrible monsters that need to be rid of or locked away in their own world." Loki heaved with loss of breath from his outrage. "You are no better than myself. You are worse, Allfather, for I have terrible creature in my blood but, you, you act out of sheer boredom and hate for heroics not of your own."

He had decided long ago that if he were to die here, at least he can get his word out against this wretched man. He allowed his tongue no boundaries.

Odin was back inside of his head casting one of Loki's worst spells that brought barbed wire scars to his skin as his body felt as though it would burst from being squeezed to hard.

The Allfather approached the table where his once-was son squirmed beneath popping wires.

"I should have raised you in the dungeons of Asgard so you knew of your monstrous origins. That way you would truly be a relic I could use against all. A man with sure purpose rather than a tantrum against his family because he was lied to." The barbed wires were twisted in a spell in his mind- he was blocked out from hearing the rest of the spell but caught slight sight of what it was. He did not know what it would cause until his lips were in searing pain.

"You're going to sit in pain and silence as I tell you every lie you ever were told. Loki Laufeyson will know how much of a monster he is since the day he was born. He will know the mockery he truly is and just when you're humiliated enough, I will kill you."

Loki's eyes stayed to the ground as he was spoken to. He could not speak and he could barely think for himself. He was doing the best he could to keep his thoughts away from Odin's magic hand that forced evil spells to erupt over his body beneath the shackles.

Of course his heart was broken. He had been betrayed by a man he didn't actually know as it turned out, the last year of his life had been a lie with friendship and comradely. And now, now his father shows his true face after a year of plots only to kill his son after making him suffer terrible truths.

His eyes stay downcast, his body limp, and he stopped struggling against the Odin feature in his mind or against the shackles.

"You could never be trusted even by a man who knew every detail of you," the voice repeated over and over in his head, only breaking him down. Loki was sure that when his brain was only about to turn into mush and he let everything go would Odin kill him.

He found himself wondering how he would be killed. Decapitation? Explosion of his body? Or would he send him to one of the worlds that loathed Asgard forms to tear him up? No. Odin would not give the pleasure of killing his own son to some neadrathal creature in a dirty world.

"You were never made to be a King. It was a sad surprise when you became so clever with spells and your silver tongue. I was going to hand you to Heimdall to throw you out into the waste of the universe yet your mother would not see to such a thing when she heard of my plan. I should have wasted you if not train you in the dungeon. A disgusting creature you are.

You ask me if you cursed. Of course you are. Cursed from the moment your filthy form appeared to Jotunheim. Whether you stayed on that earth or I take you, your fate would be the same: death by Odin Allfather.

You would enjoy to have seen the look on Thor's face when I betrayed him. It was almost like the expression he made when I banished him to Midgard, but much better. The look of distraught betrayal as I finished him with the Mjölnir that aid him in battle all those years."

The word of Odin betraying Thor- a man who saw greatness in all those he met, a man desperately loyal to his family, to Asgard- made his teeth clench. Thor, Loki knew, would still wish his brother to forgive and live by his side once again. Thor was a great power, Loki loved and hated the thought- mostly hated, and he did not deserve betrayal by a man who brought him up. A man he truly looked up to and sought to become through battle and knowledge.

Odin was about to speak when the shackled were broken off in a sudden burst. Loki's body stumbled to the ground before he was quickly, and properly, clothed.

There was a wide smirk on Odin's face that welcomed battle. His eyes feared what Loki would do next but he truly did not fear the son before him.

Green wisps of magic swirled around Loki's fingers as he shot spurts of magic towards Odin, backing him into a corner. His lips still sewn shut- he was working on that.

Loki's form changed into Jotun and he grew much bigger than his Asgard form. Kneeling over he touched Odin, freezing him to the spot. "Weak, I am not," he growled in the brief moment he freed his lips.

There was an enormous battle within Loki's head. Odin was in there yelling psychologically degrading things and twisting words within the spells he tried to conjure up. His form deflated back to his Aseir size, his lips painfully sewn once again and Odin was breaking the ice.

In a fast burst the ice was gone around Odin's form and a sharp blow of magic was thrown at Loki- sending him across the room in a pile of random things that had fallen.

Odin moved what was blocking Loki's face and reached his hand to grab it. Just before he could Loki vanished.

Tony stark had company over. Specifically he had Dr. Banner over from whatever third world country he had been enjoying for some drinks and catching up on whatever science stuff they could think of.

"_Sir, it seems you have an intruder in the laboratory. I would advise you to remove Dr. Banner or go down alone_."

"Jarvis, what the hell are you talking abo-" Whatever had broken in was now flickering on the floor in the living room, struggling with each flick to stand up.

"What the hell is that?" Banner asked, his voice still calm as it always was though the furrow on his brown was a telling sign that whatever was happening he, and the other guy, did not enjoy.

Loki collected his thoughts and stood up before he appeared next, his eyes scanning the room to collect boundaries then he toppled to his knees with his hands clutched to his sides.

"Oh. Holy shit." Tony turned to look at Bruce who stared at Loki with an unmoving expression. "Yeah, Banner. Looks like you should leave. Hey Jarvis prepare the suit and give a call to our Thunder Buddy."

Loki's eyes narrowed and looked up to the pair. He could feel Odin searching for him as the magic within his mind was not quite gone.

"Hide me, you fool," Loki hissed as the wire disappeared for a moment then seared its way back onto his lips. The raw skin screamed at him for the repetitive pain.

"Yeah not gonna happen."

Loki disappeared in a fast moment when Odin appeared before them. He looked to the two Midgardians and frowned, looking suspiciously over to them. "Who are you before Odin?"

Shit. Tony thought. Who was this guy and was he after Loki? This guy looked like a white magical spinoff of Fury.

"Bruce Banner, who the hell are you?" It was a very surprising feat that Dr. Banner had found his voice before Tony had even thought of something witty to reply with.

"I am Odin Allfather. Has my son, Loki, come through here? It would be wise to not lie to an Allfather."

Tony shook his head and threw his arm around Banner's shoulders. "Nope, no Loki here. Just two lovers enjoying a domestic disagreement." Hey, it would explain the broken things if they had been fighting over something. Loki hadn't dropped in light as a feather.

Odin watched them curiously. Tony bit the bullet with this one and kissed Banner's cheek, giving his shoulder a squeeze. He would have more than the problem of Loki hiding somewhere in his house if this really angered Banner. He did not need a Hulk, an Allfather god, and a demi-god all after him for protection and revenge.

"Honey, I told you that poking me in public was a definite no and that's that. There's no need to throw me across the room." Tony smiled briefly and gave a pat to Banner's ass before walking to his disheveled bar and poured himself a drink. Portable Iron Man suit wrist cuffs quickly placed on his wrists. It was déjà vu to prepare for protection as a God stared at him, almost ready for some kind of battle neither of these Avengers needed.

"But hey, if I find a Loki I'll tell him to give you a call or smoke signal. "

"If you do come across Loki, I fear for your life but do give him the message I am looking for him." And with that, Odin seemed to be off their hands.

"Honey?" Banner asked, his hands massaging the hem of his pants. "Your idea to distract the guy of your lie was to call me honey and pat my ass?"

"Let's face it, if the Hulk and Iron Man had a domestic dispute the place would look like this. Far worse. I really should create a place I live in out of that Titanium crap Rogers has in his shield. I'm tired of repairing this place. Jarvis, do a scan on the damage and estimate the cost of repairs. We'll need to get this fixed soon. Also, order some more of my Whiskey. Throwing the demi-god over here was a terrible thought."

"Tony, are you not worried that Loki will appear here again? I think I might want to leave if you are worried over repairs."

"Nonsense. You stay, he'll go. Besides, Thunder Thighs is coming soon, right Jarvis? I doubt Loki wants to be in the same room as the guy who will bring him back to Asgard in a heartbeat."

"_Sir, Thor can not be reached. Shall I contact Director Fury?_"

"Absolutely not. Jarvis, what did I tell you about that guy? Total flake in my ass. Why can't Thor be reached? Realm connection issues? Give me a one way to his device."

"_Sir, he may have been on his way before you tried to contact him. There is a storm pretty large not far from here. He may be coming soon."_

"Tony is it the best idea for us to bring Thor here? We don't know who was looking for Loki, or where Loki even went. What if Loki tries to kill Thor when he arrives?"

"He won't. Loki's still here. You know how convenient stores once they lock their doors people can't get in, but they can get out before they're fully closed? Yeah well I have this device that allows magic in but not out. It's a little fault because I usually don't have plans after that."

"Yeah but what about that Odin, guy? He got in and he got out. He got out, didn't he?"

Tony frowned, "Jarvis pull up the sensors for magic. Loki's and all other powers." With a quick scan he could find where Loki indeed was and there were no other fuzzy glows of magic on the screen. "Huh. I'll have to make it a no way security breech. Jarvis, make a sticky note for me to finish this project and soon."

_"Sir, I can not write down a sticky note but I will store it in your daily reminders. Shall I make this one hourly, sir?"_

"God no. Every other day. Let's not annoy the genius."

"So what do we do until Loki appears and decides he wants to explain why he expects you to hide him or control our minds to be part of some new army? I really think we should call someone else over here, Tony. This doesn't seem good and I can't say I'm fond of the thought that Loki, the guy who almost destroyed New York, is lurking about in your apartment waiting to prance."

"What a downer, Dr. Banner. J-Just, how about you go ahead and get yourself a hotel for the night until I figure out what Reindeer Games wants and then I'll let you know. If Thor shows up, I'll send him over to you to tuck you in. Until Loki does make his second appearance I'm going to enjoy some whiskey and work on magic proofing the hell out of this place and Jarvis."

"_Oh sir, is it my birthday?"_

"I don't feel right leaving you here alone with a demigod that is filled with rage and hate towards earth, the avengers, and Thor. Which, if you didn't realize, all three are right here in this room."

"Except Thor. He's not here yet."

"Whatever. You're still bringing all he has tried to rid of right under his nose. In your suit, Tony Stark, you're Iron Man and can not be defeated easily but as Tony Stark your heart beats forever and your body does not age but you can still be broken."

"Listen, Banner, I appreciate the worry but Jarvis has you and everyone else on speed dial if anything does happen. I'll keep my suit cuffs on, Jarvis has the portasuit prepared and it looked like Loki's li-" "Lips were sewn." Tony nodded as Dr. Banner finished his sentence for him.

"Okay, I'll go. I'm using your credit card and finding the most expensive place to stay."

"Yeah, have fun telling them the Hulk needs a room for the night next to all their fine China."

"Be safe, Mr. Stark. Tell Jarvis to call me first since I am the closest."

"Got that, Jarvis?"

_"Indeed, Sir. Call the swelling green one first." _

Tony only grinned sheepishly when Bruce raised his eyebrows to the description. "Hey, have a good night. No blowing through walls in green rages if the waiter spills something on you."

After a few glasses of whiskey more Tony made his way down to his lab, only to be thrown against a wall with a hand tight on his wrist. Yep. This was how he was going to die: suffocation from a startling cold hand.

He looked around to find the body of this hand before they rolled back in his head, green clouds of scenery falling before his vision in his mind when Loki appeared.

"Stark, I can not speak for my adoptive father has sewn my lips shut. I here invite you to see all that has happened to me the past year." Swirls of magic ran through Tony's mind as Loki showed him all he could show. The man who swelled red, the comradery, the plans against Odin, then what just happened hours ago. He lost slight control and let Tony feel the betrayal and anguish inside of his stomach before he quickly ended the spell and stood before him with a hard expression in his eyes.

"Wow," he could only mutter out. "Yeah. Okay. There's a guest room you can hide in until I come up with something better."

Tony, unknowing why, reached his fingers out to touch the sewn lips but pulled his fingers back last minute. Loki didn't look to be in a touching mood and Tony had found the control over his emotion as it had apparently ran away from him briefly.

Tony looked at Loki and frowned, "Put some antibiotic on that mouth. We'll figure something out to get them off or something." Loki began to give him a look that said- "I know, I know. Allfather, most powerful, yadda yadda. Whatever. I'll figure something out."

Tony waited for Loki to leave to his room and frowned as the god lingered. Green writing appeared on the wall before them. "_Thor?_"

"Right. You think he's dead. No, I don't think so. Jarvis said he detected his lightening a few states away. He should be here soon. I'll send him to you." The hand that clutched his throat told him that was a bad idea. "Okay," he croaked, "I'll occupy him."

Loki's hand retreated from Tony's neck and he vanished before him.

"What a temperamental god," Tony muttered and finished his journey down to his lab. There he manipulated things hypothetically on the screens and created prototypes, talking to Jarvis as he got his thoughts of creation out into the files.

"_Sir, Thor Odinson is on the landing dock and wishes to be let in. Shall I prepare Loki for our visitor?"_

"Prepa- No. I'm sure Loki knows who is here and if he wants to be seen he can come out of hiding himself. Let the Thunder God in and I'll be right up. Offer him a drink."

Tony made notes of where he was leaving off before he went upstairs to greet the god of thunder.

"Tony, my friend, this man who speaks to me from the walls where does he come from?"

"Technology, big guy."

"Like this cellular device?"

"H-Jarvis. You said you could not reach Thor. He's got it right on him."

"_I'm sorry Sir, perhaps his method of travel cuts the connection much like thunder storms disrupt cable channels_."

Tony rolled his eyes, Jarvis was being quite snarky today. "Hey, Thor, so that brother of yours, what's his deal?"

"His deal? Why do you ask of my brother? You have heard from him?"

"Well, no, not exactly." Tony could feel Loki's presence, but his image did not appear anywhere. "Uh, let's just say that I got a visitor from, who I kind of believe is your father, a guy with an eye patch named Odin Allfather."

"Odin Allfather? Why did you receive a visit from him! Have you tempered with magic and science?"

There were bits of crackling and Tony wondered where exactly he went wrong in this conversation. These damn brothers.

"Calm down, Thor. I did not send any Iron Man messages to any worlds other than my own. He was… he was looking for Loki and was a little disheveled but pretty angry."

"Who else knows of this visit?"

"Jarvis, myself, and Dr. Banner had been here." He gave a breathy laugh, "We called it a domestic dispute for the mess and called each other honey. He seemed to believe we knew not of Loki."

"Stark. Do you know where my brother is? I will not ask you again."

"Okay, see, yeah, here is where I'm in the sandwich. You'll give me a more than puppy love tap with Mjölnir and I'm a human shmore but if I tell you the truth I'm green slime by a guy with sewn lips."

Thor stood motionless as he stared to Tony. Ah, yep, he gave himself and Loki away by defending himself aloud.

"Listen, okay, this is my life I either want to become goo or toast. Loki's here. Somewhere in the house in one of the bedrooms. Yeah, uh, Thor, I wouldn't go searching for him." Thor pushed his way through the house to search for Loki, calling his name out loudly. Tony followed quickly behind.

"Loki! You show yourself! What business do you have seeking aid from Tony Stark!" Thor bellowed as he made his way down a hallway, beating each door open as he passed it.

"Jarvis, I would let Loki know Thor's here."

"_Already done, sir_."

Once Thor reached the door that did not open he pound his fists hard on it. "Loki! You open this door immediately!" Thor's bellow was loud, thunder rumbling above the house.

"This can't be good. Thor, do not even think about swirling your hammer."

Thor did not take orders from puny humans, it seemed. His hammer began swirling in his hand and all this electricity started swelling from no where. But as he was about to aim the Mjölnir to the door it simply opened and Loki stood behind it. He was dressed in Tony's clothing-, which took Tony, by major surprise. His shirt was too tight on him though Tony found that was something he definitely did not mind about the god. He wore simple black pants that Tony was pretty sure he had been wearing earlier and his lips still sewn shut.

"Loki," Thor's voice was much smaller now. "Who has done this to you?"

Tony leaned against the wall, "Uh, Odinson." He walked into the room moving his gaze across the room, as it seemed very much untouched still. "Nice shirt, Reindeer Games. Shall I tell Thor?"

Loki narrowed his eyes when Thor took steps closer to him. He vanished and appeared across the room as Thor's hand had reached out to touch his face. Tony tried not to notice how he had not done that earlier. Moving on.

"Loki is being hunted by your father, Thor. He's not playing nice, either. I mean, I wouldn't either but the guy has put Loki through some emotional hell. So, he's staying here for now."

"Loki, what has father done to you?"

Loki's chest swelled up as anger spread through his body.

"Yep, I'll answer that one. He used a very powerful spell to keep those lips tied tight and is trying to kill him. There seems to be no trial for whatever Loki has done all in the past. Odin's going straight for the gold to ice Loki."

"He tried to ice you? Why would he put ice on you?"

"Kill, Thor, kill."

Thor nodded with understanding. "I will go to Asgard and ask father why he does such terrible crimes against his own son."

"You musn't!" Loki growled, clearly fighting with the wires magically as he advanced only a foot or two, "he aims to kill you, too! He told me he hated us both!" Loki fell against the side of the bed as the wires made their way back through the skin on his lips.

That was a shitty sight to see even for a god of mischief that tried to destroy New York City.

Tony looked to Thor who looked lost in thought over this news. He also looked broken by the sight of severe struggle by Loki against a terrible spell and the physical pain it caused him.

"I will go, Loki. I will find the root of his meanings."

Loki shot Thor with a great green burst and Thor nodded. "I will follow the instructions. Thank you, Brother."

"What the hell just happened?" Tony asked but Loki was doing something that threw Tony out of the room, closed and locked the door behind him, and Thor was already gone to Asgard. Or, well, wherever he had gone. All he knew was he had a mopey mouth sewn shut demi god locked in one of his rooms, Dr. Banner on edge to hear from him, and a Thunder God who was probably in some pretty crappy danger.

Thor made his way to Asgard though when he was close to the realm he made himself invisible such as Loki did. It was a loan of power that Loki treasured very dearly. He was thankful Loki found sense to lend such a thing to Thor.

When he got to Asgard, however, Thor was astonished with the sight before him. Forms of ice took place where the buildings were. Disgusting machine-like aliens guard all around and fly above his head. The bridge was guard by what seemed to be Jotun and Chitauri and in the middle one that looked to be morphed with both creatures alike. Much of a mutt.

Thor went to the building his family live. It was colder than ice within the halls. People of Asgard chained together as they walked, or sat, or even just stood idly like a bunch of empty beings. He walked to where his father held the throne only to fine the master of Jotun sitting beside the tesseract with his father kneeling before him, telling him of the acts that had happened in the Midgard realm.

Thor waited until his father was sent away to follow him. Until he was alone did Thor make himself visible. When Odin ran to attack him, yelling the thunder god's name he saw that the eye of the man he knew as his father were stained blue.

Odin Allfather cursed by the tesseract, under Jotun and Chitauri control? How did this happen and why were he and Loki's heads on a bounty?

As Thor watched his father look around frantically Chitarui forms walked in, barking at the man to silence.

"Thor! Thor is here and I must kill him!"

Oh shit. The Chitauri were immediately on guard shooting at random even though they did not see him.

Thor found himself face to face with a Chitauri creature. The thing looked right through him but he could feel that the thing knew he was there. Would he feel the blast of magic go through him? Would he stay unharmed? He was about to find out.

The Chitauri shot it's spear of magic and Thor appeared as he was thrown across the room and though the wall. He was shot at many times, keeping him down. With a last muster of power he shot Mjölnir at the oncoming creatures and got the hell out of there with Chitauri and Jotun hot on his tail.


	5. Chapter 5

"He's been in there for days."

"There's been no sign of Thor or his safety."

"I don't see why he should care. In Loki's eyes, Thor is the brother that gets in the way of ruling Earth because it's Thor's beloved baby or something. With Thor gone, Loki should be terrorizing us and taking over the world again. It would be even easier for him now."

"You talk as though Thor isn't coming back, Tony."

"I don't think he is going to anytime soon. Why do you think I've forced you into making a between the galaxy tesseract locator? I don't even know how the damn portal shit works but if we could just create a prototype maybe Loki cou-"

Dr. Banner gave a breathy snort through his nose. "You want to ask Loki, the god of mischief and king of hating Thor, for help on finding Thor? The guy is bat shit crazy."

The two geniuses continued working on the machine that would hopefully pick up readings from the tesseract if it was near Earth. Tony didn't tell Dr. Banner but he planned to ask Loki for help. They needed to have magic readings on the tesseract. And if Loki could easily teleport between realms- or at least muster up a lot of energy- then Tony could scan whatever it was coming off him when he got back and bring it to the device. He was going to locate Thor and they were going to save him even if he had to add some light-year-fast jets and endless oxygen filtering systems to a space-friendly suit. He was getting thunder thighs back because he deserved better than an unruly death by his own father. If Tony knew anything more than science, it was the feeling of being betrayed by a father like figure. He knew how shattering it could be, whether he had shards attacking his heart or not.

"Maybe we should install something that reflects boobs into space and startle the aliens," Tony was going off about ridiculous ideas as he was growing bored of the wall they had hit. Tinkering with no success might as well been the same as hitting his head against Captain's shield over and over again.

All of a sudden he heard a growl and Dr. Banner was no longer working peacefully by his side and Loki's glowing green fingers were reaching towards Tony's head.

Loki gripped Tony's neck at the same time the Hulk grabbed Loki and sent the both of them across the room, through some glass, and against some hard metal.

The Hulk was rushing towards the two, not realizing he had grabbed Tony as well, when Loki shot a very powerful spell at the Hulk to throw him against a wall and stay there. He knew the spell hurt, the whole barbed wire thing he still had scars on his legs from- and he would pay the price of trust later- but Tony was barely breathing and bleeding heavily from his head.

"_An ambulance is on standby, Loki Laufeyson. Nicholas Fury from SHEILD is a quick call away if you can not help him. With the utmost care for my master, I urge you to fix him_."

Loki couldn't comprehend who was even talking to him. The monster was screaming against the barbed wires, and struggling against them and Tony's slow breath and heart beat was loud in his face. Whomever was speaking to him, instilling fear that the man who could help was about to die, was not helping and would not show his face. Loki had no time for cowards.

The Hulk screeched louder as he saw Loki's fingers glowing green and reaching for Tony. He conjured a lot of power to find what was wrong. He became confused when the metal deep within the tissues of his body crossed his radar, but found they did not threaten whether Tony Stark would live or die. Right now, at least. So, he focused on what was wrong.

A broken spine curled around his fingers, the cracked vertebrae low in his back, numb legs, internal bleeding and something still pressing hard against his spine causing spinal fluid to leave his body rapidly with the blood that was pooling around him. There was a heavy concussion, as well, though Loki figured that was due to impact and the coma was the body's way of blocking the conscious mind from all the pain.

He closed his eyes, blocking the yelling of pain and anger from the Hulk out from his consciousness, and let his magic swirl around Tony Stark as blood seeped back into his body and things mend within his human life form. It was as if anyone looking on was watching the scene of Tony Stark's death in rewind.

Bruce Banner calmed down when he saw what was happening to Tony- the restoration of life because of the God of Mischief. When he came down to normal size the spell broke and he was no longer bound to the wall by tourniquets of barbed wire around his swollen green body.

Tony regained consciousness in a sharp gasp as Loki let go and slumped by his side. He hadn't been able to eat anything the past five days since his arrival and Thor's departure and he had been struggling with the spell on his lips, which wasted quite a bit of his magic each day.

"Shit, Loki," Tony shook the god's arm and looked to Banner, "help me bring him to the table. Knock everything off on your way over. He's in bad shape."

Dr. Banner was hesitant but made his way over and helped Tony carry the heavy dead weight god to the table.

"Jarvis, bring more light over here. Where do I keep my medical stuff?" Tony took no time to recover. With how well Loki cured him he didn't need a breather. Besides, an unconscious god on his hands wasn't exactly high on his list of wants.

"Why are you trying so hard to save him?" Banner burst. He looked quite pale as he stared from the two of them. "He tried to kill you! More times than I can count on one hand and you're still trying to help him." Banner, past his pale skin, looked bewildered that Tony wasn't even recovering from being brought basically back to life.

"You tried to kill me, too, Dr. Let's not forget how thin of a thread I had just been hanging onto fifteen minutes ago or who caused it." Nope. Tony didn't mean to say that. He didn't mean to outwardly blame or hold any type of grudge against Dr. Banner. When someone Dr. Banner held dear to his heart was threatened he had low control over the other guy and Tony knew that.

"Bruce, I didn't mean th-"

"It's okay, Tony. I know you're shaken up. I'll head out for the night and let you work with that."

Tony knew it wasn't Loki's state that made Banner pale in the face.

What Tony had said definitely didn't help. He really hadn't meant it. The god's lips were bruised, swollen, and raw. He guessed that Loki had been fighting quite a bit with whatever spell was laced within the strands that thread through the skin. There had been no leeway for them to heal is really what it looked like.

"Dr. Banner, I understand you acted out of protection for me. Even if it did land me across the room in a puddle of my own blood but, look, I'm fine now. See?" Tony hopped and tapped his face, "Fine as a pickle. Haven't been this fine since the last time I slept twelve hours. I need you here, Banner, to assist me with medical stuff because I don't know how to treat an unconscious god with elephantitus of the lips."

"Good for you, it isn't Elephantitus so you're in no danger there. Give him about seven times the usual dose for humans and he'll be okay. I can't stay here, Tony. Call me if you need any help."

"I thought you were worried over Loki taking control of my mind and turning me into a flying monkey like he did to Barton?"

"He seems to want you alive, though I don't know for what. If you're in danger, like Jarvis said, he'll call the green one first. Make sure you're in the suit so I don't almost kill you again."

Tony knew that's what it was about- the immediate guilt that was burning in Banner's veins like battery acid. He would get over it. He'd have to because Tony would need him real soon.

"Don't leave the country," Tony decided aloud, "stay close enough you can be here in a few hours. I'll need you."

Banner simply nodded before he left the lab. There was too much guilt weighing on him. If he stayed the other guy would come out just to tell Tony he needed to get the fuck away from him because it was terrible to look at him when he could hardly handle it.

So Dr. Banner left and Tony was left with Loki, Jarvis, and his no good skills with medical shit. He'd be a terrible father if his kid scraped his knee.

It was hours later when Loki finally woke up from whatever mini coma he had fallen into. Tony applied heaps of alcohol to the infection, peroxide, Neosporin, and then a soothing infection gel by Jarvis' instruction that most of those products would simply dry the wound out. 'The god of mischief wouldn't appreciate dry lips,' was Jarvis' jab at lame humor and to brighten the mood around Tony.

Tony sat in a chair by the table Loki was at, peering over the glass held to his lips to the god.

"Good morning, sunshine," Tony piped when Loki's frantic eyes found him. "You're good at that whole threatening my life then saving it stunt. I'd highly recommend you stop reaching for my throat so unexpectedly, though. Dr. Banner and Jarvis both don't enjoy when you put my life into risk like that. So, yeah, stop that."

Tony was enjoying his one-way monologues with Loki. Finally, someone he could talk to that couldn't respond verbally. Jarvis always had something to come back with, Captain always had questions, and Banner was always there to bring him down to reality. The last time he had actually spoken to Loki ended him flying out of a window. It was a sense of elation to have that upper hand in verbal threats now.

Loki walked towards Tony and stood before him, staring to him with much intent. He needed his help and he also needed silence from him.

Tony was silent when the god was that close. He just stared right back, placing the glass down on what was left of the workbench next to him. Loki's lips were already looking less purple and red and more normal. It was funny how quickly a god could heal.

One time Thor had been hurt pretty badly- to the point where Tony could see the actual bones of three of his ribs. There wasn't really a remedy to fix that, Jarvis or Dr. Banner couldn't even think of anything and Tony just said 'fuck it' and poured a bottle of alcohol to kill disease and in the next fifteen minutes after that Thor healed pretty quickly. Needless to say, Tony had pat himself on the back for that for weeks. Saving a norse god, how heroic.

There was that urge taking control of his steady thinking again. Before he knew it and his hand was reaching towards Loki's lips. Maybe if he just felt what those wires were made of he could create a took that cut them off and pulled them out for a final time. Tony thought Loki was more helpful with his tongue. Only for the purpose of his spells and history of Asgard and it's enemies, of course.

Tony's finger tips touched the corner of Loki's mouth gently before he ran his index finger over the wire that began the terrible stitching of Loki's lips. It felt weird and different but it also felt familiar, as if he had felt the metal before beneath his fingers. He couldn't remember from what just yet.

"Holy shit," Tony exhaled when the wires disappeared after his touch, though they reappeared a few seconds after his finger moved onto the next wire. "Why does? What- Why does that happen?" The skin around Loki's lips and the wire healed after Tony's finger and all of a sudden it was a clean wound without infection.

The billionaire stared in disbelief and amazement. Loki's green eyes only watched Banner, an explanation not even in them. They weren't surprised, really, but perhaps sad as though he had a feeling this would have happened.

Tony pressed his entire hand against Loki's mouth and pushed him back to the wall of the work shop, his other hand firm on his chest as though his human strength could keep him there. He felt the wires were gone, he could feel them disappear beneath his palm.

"Stark," Loki was careful to keep his lips and mouth pressed against Tony Stark's hand, "I need your mind to think about something I write down. I believe you might be able to figure the riddle, for it seems to be beyond my time."

Wha-What? Why did Tony's _touch_, of all things, make the wires disappear? Why was it that simple and strange? Tony frowned at Loki, "Uh, no, first tell me why the contact of human skin makes the wires disappear?" Tony took his hand away and there the wires were reforming. They seemed to form without hurting Loki- unlike when Loki had been fighting against them while telling Thor not to chase Odin.

He placed his hand back on Loki's mouth, the wires gone, pulled it away- there they were, then put his hand back. He did this two more times before Loki suddenly grabbed Tony's wrist and pressed his hand to his mouth, "That feels unnatural, Stark. I must urge you to stop. Before I tell you why your contact breaks the spell, tell me why you have threatening shards of metal deep within the tissue of your body."

Tony narrowed his eyes, "Stalemate," he claimed. "Show me yours first."

Loki furrowed his brows, "I will show you what I caught of the spell in Norse tongue to where I was bombarded by something I can not quite place the context while I am preoccupied. I expect you will break the riddle. I will gift you with a brief fluency in norse tongue. It is not safe for a human to be fluent in such a language. Once I have the spell complete I can help you create that machine that locates the tesseract."

"I don't think you need to be anywhere near the tesseract. Do you remember what happened the last time you had your hands on that thing?"

Loki growled and turned them so Tony was pinned beneath his body. 'Woah, did he lick my hand? Yep, my palm is definitely moist. Wait, why is my mouth covered by his hand? God, it's freezing. Do norse gods run with constant frostburn in their hands? I'm pretty sure Thor is hot as a wildebeest. Why is his hand still on my mouth?'

The wires were still gone on Loki's mouth, the air hitting the wound allowed it to heal the last extent it needed to.

Loki tilt his head just slightly as he saw the wonder boiling over in Tony's eyes. A smirk laced his lips, "Why yes, Stark, it does work in reverse as well. To an… extent, of course. _Me__ adiuva_," Loki hissed before he pulled his hand from Tony Stark's mouth and the wires appeared once again painlessly on Loki's mouth.

Tony's eyes widened as a whole new vocabulary graced his mind. He watched as Loki conjured a bunch of green words and pressed a few fingers to the wall and the complicated spell settled itself against the wall.

Loki gave instructions for Tony to never finish the spell on the wall or everything that kept the tower standing and firm would become minute as the building fell to the ground.

"Maybe the words shouldn't be embedded into my wall, then. Traditional pen and paper would have sufficed. I have enough repairs to do."

Tony began reading what was on his walls silently- he had begun to whisper them aloud but when Loki winced and shot him a shock of electricity Tony got the hint that silence was the best way to study this.

"_Sir?_"  
"Jarvis, have you fallen and hit your head?"  
"_Sir, you have not installed a Norse-Latin understanding chip into my data system. I cannot possibly understand what you are saying, even with my extensive tools to research all languages. Norse-latin is out of reach."_

"I was speaking wha-," Tony glanced over to Loki who was simply smirking- lips and eyes, guess his mouth was feeling better after healing.

"Oh right, fluent in Norse tongue. Jarvis, do a scan of the damage done by our very own Dr. Banner and create construction plans for when I have time."

"_Alright, sir. Mr. Laufeyson's energy levels seem to be low. Shall I give him numbers for take out food? Perhaps you could force feed him with your hand_."

Tony narrowed his eyes briefly before he raised his eyebrows, "Not a bad idea, Jarvis. Go ahead and order Chinese, Mexican, and a large pizza. If he eats anything like Thor a pu pu platter won't be enough."

"_Taken care of, Sir_."

Tony spent all the time he could studying and memorizing the spell that was before him. Well, that was until Jarvis announced the food had all been delivered and set in the boxes in the kitchen.

"Okay, Reindeer Games, let's eat."

Tony led Loki to the kitchen. Well, Tony walked and Loki just followed behind. Tony was definitely curious to see how hand feeding a god would be when they literally had to force the other's lips shut in one way for Loki to have access to his lips.

Tony displayed all the food on the counter before eating as much as he could then looked to Loki. He shrugged some, "Mind my manners, I don't care. My house, my hunger." It was easy to brush off any hospitable manners towards Loki that Tony may have missed.

For kicks, Tony put a handful of lo mein in his hand and pushed it to Loki's mouth. Loki's green eyes stared into Tony's as he maneuvered food from Tony's hand into his mouth, licking the palm hungrily (his appetite was huge since he had not eaten in almost a week's time) until he could only taste that of Tony Stark's flesh.

Tony shifted in his chair uncomfortably as an odd warm feeling bubbled within his gut, quickly adverting his eyes to the food he pulled his hand back. This time he grabbed pizza and pressed his other hand to Loki's mouth, separating his fingers to spread Loki's lips. The god willingly spread his teeth and welcomed the pizza big bite by big bite. He barely chewed before he swallowed. After the crust was finished his tongue darted out to lick over Tony's fingers, his eyes steady on Tony's. He found much amusement by how flustered Tony was becoming.

That warm bubble was strong within his gut now. The flick of Loki's tongue between his fingers only brought brief images of Loki with Tony's finger in his mouth, eyes downcast as Tony was settled between his l- No no no.

Tony pulled his hand away letting out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. "O-okay, I think you can feed yourself now."

Loki stood from the barstool and began eating as much as he could. When he came across the cannoli's he smirked wildly, looking around the ceiling as if he could see the faceless voice teasing them silently.

The god pulled his hand from Tony's mouth, the billionaire's eyes wide from how much he had just seen one man inhale and not burst. A slight smirk was still seen beneath the woven wires as Loki scooped the filling of the dessert onto his finger. With his other hand he reached for Tony's jaw, only gripping it gently as the cannoli-filling finger moved towards Tony's lips.

Without really having control over his actions Tony's tongue was leaving his mouth to lick some of the filling off of Loki's finger. His mouth encasing the finger and his tongue made sure that the finger was clear of Italian dessert.

Loki tugged Tony's jaw gently so the playboy would look to him. As Loki had suspected, the wires were gone even without Tony touching his lips. Tony's eyes widened from their low-lashed state and he pulled his mouth from Loki and was standing up only inches away from him.

Tony became curious very quickly. His hand reached out to touch Loki's wrist, his eyes following his fingers as they trailed up Loki's arm and to his neck.

"Stark," Loki's voice was low, sounding almost breathless. His breath was cold as ice- even the brief bits that breezed past Tony's face.

Tony looked up and Loki's wires were gone as long as he held contact. Loki looked as though he knew why this was happening but he gave no signs of explaining why this was happening. Tony wasn't sure either of them wanted to really know or discuss the matter.

Tony let go and the wires reappeared. He watched the god watch him. Loki took Tony's wrist, the wires stayed on his lips, then Loki pressed his mouth against Tony's and the wires still stayed.

"How can they not go anywhere now? You're touching me just as I had just done to you. Shouldn't they vanish just like before?" Tony frowned in confusion before it wiped clear from his face. "Oh."

Anthony Stark did not think for the future, or even everything through, whenever he acted upon a thought of his. He got an idea, liked it, and ran with it. He grabbed the most vicious bull by the horns and ran right into it forehead to forehead.

Before he knew it his lips were against Loki's quite tentatively. He would admit that he feared the wires sewing both their mouths together. That would be something awful to try and explain to, well, anyone. When he didn't feel the wires, and Loki was aware of their absence, the kiss became intense.

Teeth clashed and hands squeezed fabric that held the other's body very close in a hold that wouldn't allow either to budge. Their tongues fought for dominance in either's mouths. Tony noted that Loki's breath was crisp and cool, his tongue warm and inviting. Quite the contradiction.

"_Sir_," Jarvis broke the both of them apart. Well, Tony jumped and quickly distanced himself from the norse god. Loki's lips sewn shut once more, though they showed slight redness and swelling from the intensity.

"Yeah, Jarvis?"

"_I'm picking up an unfamiliar reading in New Mexico. I suggest Iron Man investigate the matter._"

"Jarvis prepare the suit, I'll head out now and see what's up. Maybe it's Thor thinking Jane is still there. Loki- you stay here in case anyone does arrive. By anyone I obviously mean Dr. Banner or your brother. Don't try to kill Jarvis because you can't. Jarvis, play nice."

"_I always do, sir_."

Tony left the scene in the kitchen- happy for the distraction though also incredibly frustrated by the interruption. His body wanted nothing to do with leaving the situation even if his mind welcomed it with wide open arms.

He was suited up and in New Mexico within twenty minutes. Time enough to watch whatever portal it was close and something heavy fall right to the ground. Tony's stomach might as well have joined what fell because it felt like it was going to fly through his butt anyway. He had a strong feeling he knew what it was.

Tony flew over to the object, landing and frowned greatly at the sight. "Jarvis, tell Loki my coordinates and get him out here."

"_I assume Loki will be there shortly, he has already left_."

Tony bent over and gripped the handle, and his stomach definitely flew out of his butt and to the ground as he stood up with the hammer still in his hand. Everyone knew Mjölnir was impossible to pick up unless you are Thor.


End file.
